The Australian campaigner took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London in mid-June to avoid extradition to Sweden. Swedish investigators want Assange to answer questions about allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two women in August 2010 after WikiLeaks began releasing classified US documents.

“I feel as a mother that he is not capable of the charges — not even the charges, the allegations against him,” his mother said. “There is absolutely no doubt that this is a political persecution, by the Swedish prosecutors and the police, with interference of the government,” she said.

Christine Assange echoed her son’s fears that Sweden would extradite him to the United States to face charges for releasing masses of US military and diplomatic documents into the public domain. Assange’s mother declined to discuss the substance of her conversation with Correa, but she is counting on his sympathy.

“The president, and his ministers, are very knowledgeable intelligent and compassionate people, genuinely so, and they have a good understanding of the case,” she said.